Go inside Prince Harry's treacherous South Pole trek in prime time special

What began as a race to the South Pole between three teams of combat veterans, including Prince Harry, turned into a struggle for survival.

Robert Leveritt

Prince Harry and his team battle the elements.

Matt Lauer will host an exclusive prime time special, "Prince Harry's South Pole Heroes," airing Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC. Viewers will be taken along as the royal and a group of veterans embark on an arduous 130-mile trip to the South Pole with the charity Walking With The Wounded.

Robert Leveritt

Princy Harry walks around his team's camp in Antarctica.

Petter Nyquist

Harry gives a thumbs up during the trek.

In a preview of the special, Harry and the three teams, the members of which include an amputee, a suicide bombing survivor, a blind paratrooper and a soldier with a brain injury, struggle to overcome the tough terrain, grueling pace and threatening conditions, where temperatures of minus 40 degrees inflict frostbite within seconds.

Petter Nyquist

One team journeys through difficult elements while racing to the South Pole.

“Right at the beginning of this, our aim was to get 12 wounded individuals to the Pole,” Ed Parker, co-founder of Walking With The Wounded, said during the trek. “If we go on like this, we are simply not going to do it.”

Harry showed off a large blister on the ball of his foot. "I can't even begin to tell you how painful that is," he said, "but I count myself lucky I have got feet."

In a sweet moment, Harry's team headed to Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth before setting off for Antarctica.

Harry ribbed his teammates in front of his granny, and she offered some advice.

"I don't know how they are going to get me out of the sleeping bag," said Ivan Castro, who's from Puerto Rico.

"Do be careful of the crevasses and such that one might find," the queen told him.